The publication that shows that garbage arrived from the United States in this way in containers is false

Publications circulate on Facebook (see here and here) where you can see two images representing containers full of garbage. The photos are accompanied by the following legend: "Argentina has begun to receive garbage from the US Macri and its policy …" (sic). However, it is wrong: the photos were taken in Indonesia by a photographer from the French news agency AFP and aired in various media last June.

The misinformation was published on the page "For a better future", identified with Kirchnerism, and in another called "Chew Soup". According to the publications data, the content has been shared more than 21,000 times. In addition, he had more than 2,000 reactions and a thousand comments.

The origin of images

These photos were originally published by the AFP news agency. The same images that are now appearing on Facebook have been broadcast in several international and national media. In any case, it is noted that the images are from last June and belong to the AFP Agency.

In the AFP image bank, the caption states that they were caught in the port of Batu Ampar, on the island of Batam, Indonesia, on June 15, 2019.

In France, the photos were published by GEO, a publication that publishes travel notes. Last July, they published an article on the problem of waste in Indonesia, illustrated by the photos of the French agency.

The American news site Bloomberg also released the photos used in the misinformation that circulates on Facebook. On this occasion, they were used in a text published last July that reported that the Indonesian port authorities had tightened controls after a check revealed that more than 80 containers contained illegal waste from United States. , Australia and Europe.

In Argentina, the images were broadcast by Clarín. In the note of the newspaper, they indicate that the photos were taken in Indonesia last June and that they belong to AFP, ie they are not current and do not come from Argentina. The note speaks of an investigation by the British Guardian newspaper which revealed that "hundreds of tons of American plastic are transported annually to developing countries".

In what context does this disinformation appear?

The viral publication on Facebook was published on September 4, a few days after President Mauricio Macri, amended by decree in 1992 on the Hazardous Waste Act, which regulates the entry of waste into the country.

Although the decree maintains the prohibition of transit, introduction and final or temporary import of waste from other countries, it now authorizes the entry of "substances or objects "used for" specific purposes ". According to the decree, these requirements are as follows: there is a market or an application for the entry of certain wastes; that such waste meets the technical requirements and the legislation in force for the purposes for which it is used; and that its use does not have a negative impact on the environment or health.

The region that will determine the parameters for each case will be the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Nation, in charge of Sergio Bergman. In a radio interview with Radio Con Vos, Reverso's half-ally, the official said the decree "updates international standards under which waste can not be imported but waste can be used as inputs" for other activities.

This measure has been challenged by various organizations, such as Greenpeace Argentina and the Confederation of Associated Cooperatives of Argentina (Conarcoop), which brings together various federations of cardboard and cooperatives working in waste management.

The NGO said in a statement that "the amendment of this law relaxes the rules that determine the waste that can enter the territory". For its part, Conarcoop said the decree removes the control of the entry of recyclable materials, which "displaces the recycling cooperatives and their badociates" who exercise this activity as a source of income.

Finally, the amendment will come into effect at the end of September. Therefore, this publication does not show that US waste has entered Argentina, as indicated by incorrect information.

This memo is part of Reverso, the collaborative journalistic project that brings together more than 100 media and technology companies to intensify the fight against misinformation during the campaign.

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